Derby Day at Rainlily Farm

The invitation started, “Put on your seersuckers, sun dresses and fancy hats for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.”

Sold. Any place I can wear my seersucker suit is a place I should be. Having never been to a Kentucky derby party, I was curious. Men looking dapper; women ornamented with ridiculous hats. Little did I know that I would meet a bourbon heiress and get tipsy a little too quickly on rather strong mint juleps.

The party was hosted by Rainlily farm and included the likes of Tom and Dave from Tipsy Texan, Bill Norris of FINO, and Mindy Kucan of the Hilton. Bulleit Bourbon sponsored the event and Hollis Bulleit flew in. Meeting Hollis was one of the highlights of the day. Her name was Hollis, for starters, and she was a sixth-generation distiller. Needless to say, the drinks were lovely (and strong) and the food perfectly complimented the event. Paul Michie of the Alamo Drafthouse and RJ Spade of Blue Star Cafeteria prepared Hot Browns and Benedictines. The hot browns featured fried chicken–at least I think it was chicken instead of turkey-instead of the traditional dish with non-fried turkey. Frying was obviously the right decision.

Besides running into many of may favorite people, walking around the small farm was enjoyable. It’s on Shady Lane in East Austin, is about five acres, and supplies veggies and such to local restaurants. I’m always amazed by how much food people can produce from a small parcel of land.

After recovering from my three and a half mint juleps I drove home and showered immediately. Wearing a suit in humidity carries a price. All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Austin.